Let the Ottawa Senators training camp battles begin

A full load of 63 players will open Ottawa Senators training camp with medicals on Thursday.

The group includes 23 skaters who also took part in last weekend’s rookie showcase tournament in Belleville. Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, Alex Formenton, Max Veronneau and Erik Brannstrom are among the rookie crew who have a legitimate shot of cracking the lineup for the regular season opener, Oct. 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After going through the off-ice testing, the Senators will be broken up into three groups as they hit the ice for the first time Friday.

After a busy weekend of practices and scrimmages — including Saturday’s Fan Fest at Canadian Tire Centre — the Senators will open the pre-season schedule next Tuesday in St. John’s, Nfld., against the Maple Leafs.

After a rematch against the Maple Leafs Sept. 18 at Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators will chop down the roster to two working groups for the next stage of camp.